Re: The Olympics Thread

[Paul Keating]

The swim suits or the density of the water has to be a factor.

It's a WR every race.

[JGK]

Phelps is obviously the best swimmer of all time given his repertoire and distance ahead of his rivals.

Thorpe is probably the greatest freestyler having held the WR in the 200m, 400m and 800m at various times (and still has the 400m WR which no-one else has come close to). He also has WC medals in 100m and 50m freestyle and anchored the 4x100m leg in 2000.

But "greatest" is more than just performance. I think longevity and impact on the sport is also a factor. I was looking at the womens 100m WR evolution the other day - Dawn Fraser first set that record in 1955, lowered it by about 4 seconds (ie 7%!) during her career and didn't lose it until Shane Gould broke it in 1972.

Similarly, Janet Evans set some records that lasted similar times. Salnikov won the 1500m Gold in 1980 and 1988 having boycotted 1984 and was the only person below 15minutes for a long time. It then took Perkins to show the rest of the world how low that 1500m record could go. Popov was untouchable as a sprinter for nearly a decade and the times Biondi set 20 years ago are still competitive.

And of course Spitz's 7 golds at a games has been untouched for over 30 years.

Given that Phelps has really only been around for 5 years, I think we need to wait until he is considered the greatest.

[skully]

The swim suits or the density of the water has to be a factor.

It's a WR every race.

And that the pool is 2 m short!!

[embee]

How long did Spitz swim for ?

[skully]

50m at a time then he tumble turned and did another 50. Repeat as necessary.

[embee]

Can always rely on a sgdt to be a sgdt ...

[Red]

Spitz competed in the Mexico Olympics but didn't win the haul of medals he wanted to.

He reversed that trend in Munich.

Thorpe was also great because he was a great racer. For eg. in the Sydney Olympics he conceded a start to Gary Hall but overhauled him to win us relay gold. At the time people didn't think he had the speed to be successful on the world stage over the 100 metres distance.

Congratulations to Stephanie Rice and our relay men.

Coventry is keeping Zimbabwe ahead of its SA neighbours. Why is SA so shyte at the Olympics? Or isn't it really into sport or have the culture that us Aussies do??

[Paul Keating]

Now I know you aren't Rob.

[embee]

Maybe Red is Debbie Spillane?

[JGK]

The British lass looks like she is going to win the gold in the womens road cycling time trial.

[JGK]

Coventry is keeping Zimbabwe ahead of its SA neighbours. Why is SA so shyte at the Olympics? Or isn't it really into sport or have the culture that us Aussies do??

Coventry really is an outstanding swimmer.

[JGK]

The Brit gets silver in the cycling. More amazing was Jennie Llongo getting 4th at the age of 49!

[PlanetPakistan]

American girls talk too fast.......

[Paul Keating]

Was it Katie Hoff (who like Gary Hall Jnr) said something along the lines that she would smash the Australians?

Katie has not had the best of Olympics so far and has been outperformed by most of her rivals.

[JGK]

Hoff will win gold tomorrow in the 4x200m though.


Coventry now has 3 silvers at these Olympics (with a chance for more in the 200m backstroke) to go with her gold, silver and bronze in Athens.

[JGK]

Poms in lather over hygiene crack

Staff writers | August 13, 2008 - 10:38AM

Relations between the Australian and British Olympic teams have gone further down the gurgler after top Aussie official John Coates questioned the personal hygiene of British swimmers during a stunning Beijing press conference.

Coates' comments came after Brits Rebecca Adlington and Joanne Jackson won gold and bronze medals respectively in the 400m freestyle at the Water Cube yesterday.

Coates said the English swimming team's efforts were "not bad for a country that has no swimming pools and very little soap".

The jibe further cranks up the rivalry between the nations after Australia's Sports Minister Kate Ellis said the British were serial chokers and challenged British counterpart Gerry Sutcliffe to a wager on which country would finish higher on the medal table.

Britain's tabloids worked themselves into predictable lather over the Coates remark.

"Aussie Games play gets dirty!" screamed The Sun, beside a photo of a showering British diver Hayley Sage.

The Daily Mail quoted a British official saying Coates' comments sounded "like sour grapes because we have been doing so well".

The Daily Star dubbed Coates the "Lizard of Aus" and highlighteed another "foul-mouthed" comment at the press conference when Coates said "sh-t happens" in response to a gear failure in an Australian men's eight rowing heat.

But British Swimming chief executive David Sparkes dodged the controversy, according to The Guardian.

"I don't know anything about the average Australian's use of soap," he said. "I have no idea about their personal hygiene."

Britain is aiming to claim fourth place from Australia in the medal table for London 2012.

[Red]

Britain imports some of our swim coaches though.

[horace]

American girls talk too fast.......

PP is this a confession that you have spent too much time in Queensland or Western Australia???

[Henry]

Poms in lather over hygiene crack

Staff writers | August 13, 2008 - 10:38AM

Relations between the Australian and British Olympic teams have gone further down the gurgler after top Aussie official John Coates questioned the personal hygiene of British swimmers during a stunning Beijing press conference.

Coates' comments came after Brits Rebecca Adlington and Joanne Jackson won gold and bronze medals respectively in the 400m freestyle at the Water Cube yesterday.

Coates said the English swimming team's efforts were "not bad for a country that has no swimming pools and very little soap".

The jibe further cranks up the rivalry between the nations after Australia's Sports Minister Kate Ellis said the British were serial chokers and challenged British counterpart Gerry Sutcliffe to a wager on which country would finish higher on the medal table.

Britain's tabloids worked themselves into predictable lather over the Coates remark.

"Aussie Games play gets dirty!" screamed The Sun, beside a photo of a showering British diver Hayley Sage.

The Daily Mail quoted a British official saying Coates' comments sounded "like sour grapes because we have been doing so well".

The Daily Star dubbed Coates the "Lizard of Aus" and highlighteed another "foul-mouthed" comment at the press conference when Coates said "sh-t happens" in response to a gear failure in an Australian men's eight rowing heat.

But British Swimming chief executive David Sparkes dodged the controversy, according to The Guardian.

"I don't know anything about the average Australian's use of soap," he said. "I have no idea about their personal hygiene."

Britain is aiming to claim fourth place from Australia in the medal table for London 2012.

More classy stuff from a 'top' Australian sporting official. Surely even you Aussies are embarrased by some of the things these dimwits come up with? Remember John O'Neill before the rugby world cup last year? His comments worked a treat......

[JGK]

O'Neil is a ******. Coates was just making a gentle dig.


BTW - odds for the 1500m - Park looks great value.

Winner
Grant Hackett (Australia) 1.90
Peter Vanderkaay (U S A) 5.00
Tae Hwan Park (South Korea) 9.00
Yuri Prilukov (Russia) 11.00
Mateusz Sawrymowicz (Poland) 11.00
Larsen Jensen (U S A) 11.00
Lin Zhang (China P R) 15.00
David Davies (Great Britain) 21.00
Federico Colbertaldo (Italy) 34.00
Oussama Mellouli (Tunisia) 41.00
Craig Stevens (Australia) 81.00
Ryan Cochrane (Canada) 81.00
Nikita Lobintsev (Russia) 151.00

[horace]

***coates in stating the obvious gaffe***

[tac]

Diddums . . . fancy the poms getting upset about that . . . a bit like the 1st test at the Gabba when the Barmy Army had a sook about a few songs aimed at them for a change . . .

[PlanetPakistan]

American girls talk too fast.......

PP is this a confession that you have spent too much time in Queensland or Western Australia???

No but i would love to go there one day. I heard Perth is HOT.

[horace]

but most of the people there are ex pat poms, saffies or zimbos of the white supremicist persuasion...that is why WA is the naturall home of Klansmen like Zimmy

[eowyn]

You are quoting The Sun, The Mail and The Daily Star.....

Doesn't really bother me what the coach quipped, it's part of the banter, it's that the Sports Minister, I presume in Beijing in a supposed "diplomatic role" was hardly diplomatic.

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